# Database & Infrastructure (Reference: https://docs.iqra.bot/developers/self-hosting/dependencies)

Before you run the Iqra AI applications, you must have the **Data Layer** running. This layer holds all state, vector embeddings, binary files, and document processing capabilities.

The Stack [#the-stack]

| Service         | Default Port | Usage                                                        |
| :-------------- | :----------- | :----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **MongoDB**     | `27017`      | Persistent storage for users, businesses, and logs.          |
| **Redis**       | `6379`       | Real-time concurrency tracking, audio buffering, and queues. |
| **Milvus**      | `19530`      | Vector database for RAG Knowledge Base.                      |
| **RustFS / S3** | `9000`       | S3-compatible object storage for recordings and assets.      |
| **Docling**     | `8000`       | AI Document Parser (PDF/Docx -> Markdown) for RAG ingestion. |

***

Setup Guide [#setup-guide]

We maintain up-to-date Docker configurations in our GitHub repository.

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Download Configuration [#download-configuration]

    Clone the repository and navigate to the docker folder.

    ```bash
    git clone https://github.com/abdofallah/IqraAI.git
    cd IqraAI/docker/dependencies
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Configure Environment [#configure-environment]

    1. Copy the example env file: `cp .env.example .env`
    2. **Security Warning:** Change the default `MONGO_PASSWORD` and `RUSTFS_SECRET_KEY` immediately.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Start Infrastructure [#start-infrastructure]

    ```bash
    docker-compose up -d
    ```

    *Tip: The first run involves downloading large images for Milvus and Docling. Please be patient.*
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

Regional Storage Strategy (Advanced) [#regional-storage-strategy-advanced]

For a single-node setup, one S3/RustFS container is sufficient. However, for **Production Multi-Region** deployments, Iqra AI supports a distributed storage architecture to minimize audio latency.

The Architecture: Write Local, Replicate Async [#the-architecture-write-local-replicate-async]

When an agent in `US-East` generates a TTS audio file, we shouldn't fetch it from `EU-Central` every time.

<Mermaid
  chart="graph TD
    subgraph US_Region [Region: US East]
        AgentUS[Backend Node]
        S3_US[(Local S3 Bucket)]
    end

    subgraph EU_Region [Region: EU Central]
        AgentEU[Backend Node]
        S3_EU[(Local S3 Bucket)]
    end

    %% Write Flow
    AgentUS -->|1. Generate & Write| S3_US
    
    %% Replication
    S3_US -.->|2. Native S3 Replication| S3_EU
    
    %% Read Flow
    AgentEU -->|3. Try Read| S3_EU
    S3_EU -.->|4. Miss? Fallback| S3_US
    
    style S3_US fill:#f59e0b,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style S3_EU fill:#f59e0b,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff"
/>

How it works [#how-it-works]

1. **Configuration:** You define a specific S3 Bucket/Connection for **each Region** in the [Admin Dashboard](/developers/admin/infrastructure).
2. **Write:** The Backend always writes to its **Local Region** storage. It tags the file metadata with `OriginRegion: us-east`.
3. **Replication:** You configure your storage provider (AWS S3, MinIO, or RustFS Cluster) to replicate data across buckets in the background.
4. **Read:** When retrieving a file (e.g., Audio Cache):
   * **Attempt 1:** Try the **Local Region** storage (Fastest).
   * **Attempt 2:** If missing (replication lag), fallback to the **Origin Region** storage (Slower, but guarantees availability).

***

Connection Strings Reference [#connection-strings-reference]

You will need these values for the [Application Configuration](/developers/self-hosting/configuration).

* **Host:** If apps run in Docker on the same network -> Use Service Name (e.g., `mongodb`).
* **Host:** If apps run Native -> Use `localhost` or Docker Host IP.

| Service     | Connection String Template                              |
| :---------- | :------------------------------------------------------ |
| **MongoDB** | `mongodb://<user>:<pass>@localhost:27017`               |
| **Redis**   | `localhost:6379,password=<pass>`                        |
| **Milvus**  | Host: `localhost`, Port: `19530`                        |
| **Docling** | `http://localhost:8000`                                 |
| **Storage** | *Configured dynamically per region in Admin Dashboard.* |